


Night Music

by Kaiyou



Series: Scions and Sake [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Child Abuse Mentioned, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pianos, Sweetness, Vampires, awkward crushes, parent death mentioned, preteen ages (11/12), protective friends, runaways - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 07:04:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9424547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaiyou/pseuds/Kaiyou
Summary: When Tendou stumbles upon a couple of runaway kids during his night exploration, he doesn't know he's about to make friends that will change his world. For Semi and Shirabu, life is basically them against the world - but Tendou's unanticipated arrival opens up the possibility of something new, and maybe even a lifeline to help them out when the storms of life threaten to drown them.





	

Being new to the city made Tendou like wandering. Most of the families his parents hung out with had kids who were so uppity. They were cruel, preteens playing the haughty vampires they imagined the adult world to be like, talking down about humans and being borderline abusive to the human servants who had to put up with them.

Tendou had never had a human servant of his own.

His parents had one, an older gentleman who mumbled when he spoke and spent most of the time working in the garden. He didn’t do much except provide blood when needed. Supposedly his family had served his for generations, but it was a loose relationship; only one person a generation came into service. His great-nephew was supposed to come and serve in a few months. 

That would be nice. Someone close to his own age would be nice - well, as long as they didn’t treat him like a freak.

Humming softly under his breath, Tendou jumped from rooftop to rooftop. He was currently exploring a rundown residential area in the hilly part of the city, where stairs led up through stone gates and terraced yards to porches with front doors that screeched on rusty hinges. Only a few of these houses were lived in, and then only by humans either too poor to go elsewhere or looking to hide. There were a few blood houses near the edges of the neighborhood, too - places where humans exchanged blood for money, or drugs, or occasionally just for the euphoria of the bite itself. Tendou steered away from such places.

He supposed it was everyone’s right to do with their body what they wished, but it seemed more like the humans that visited those places had given up hope.

Hope was far too precious for anyone to give it up so easily.

Suddenly his attention was caught by the banging of piano keys from the attic beneath him. It was unexpected. He’d been by this house before, knew it was abandoned. He’d even done some exploring inside, sneaking in through broken shutters on the second floor. For someone to be playing the piano - it made him curious.

He swung down onto the ledge just beneath the attic window, curling his fingers around the worn wooden windowsill. Cocking his head to the side he listened. Whoever was playing sucked. Seriously sucked. It didn’t help that the piano was out of tune, and they kept playing things wrong, sometimes cursing softly before starting back up with halting fingers.

Tendou smelled blood, too - though there was something odd about it, both faint and rich at the same time. Maybe the unknown pseudo-musician was a human. Maybe he was a crazy vampire keeping a human captive. Maybe Tendou could be a hero and rescue the human!

Ok, that was probably all nonsense. If it was a crazy vampire it might be an adult with more experience than he had. He should probably be careful.

Aww, fuck it.

Bursting in through the window, Tendou tilted his head and observed his surroundings. The attic looked almost like he’d remembered it, rows of boxes and dust and an old half-rotted piano. The pallet of blankets in the corner was new, however. That was where the blood smell was coming from. He saw a pale-faced human curled up under a light-blue blanket, traces of blood still evident on the wrist near his face. The occupant of the piano bench was new, too.

New, and pissed.

“Get out of here!” 

Tendou considered these words carefully, assessing the other. A vampire. Young, looked to be either his age or younger. Skinny as hell too, with silver hair and messy tips from a bad dye-job. Probably a boy? Maybe? The vampire was wearing a baggy shirt that made it too hard to tell, though it did nothing to really hide their emaciated form. 

“I said, get out! Stay away! We’ve claimed this space, you can’t have it!”

“Claimed, eh?” Tendou asked, tilting his head to the side as he tried to figure out the puzzle in front of him.

Why would a vampire kid need to squat in one of these houses?

Why would a vampire kid be hanging out with some human - a human with blood that smelled rather delicious, all things considered?

Tendou wasn’t hungry, though.

“Semi?” said a sleepy voice. The kid on the pallet was pushing up, shoving oddly-cut bangs away from their face. 

“Shirabu!” the little vampire said, fists clenching. “Go back to sleep.”

Tendou read fear and concern on the other vampire’s face, and a sort of sleepy calculation on the human’s. Not a captor-captive relationship then, at least not that he could tell. Raising his hands he said, “Hey, hey, sorry to scare you. I was worried -”

“I’m not scared of you!” the vampire - Semi? - said, stomping a bare foot. 

“Oh - okay,” Tendou said, looking down and shoving his hair out of his face. So annoying. “Um, I thought maybe your human -”

“He’s not my human!” Semi huffed.

“Oh - uh - the human? If he’s not your human, then what -”

“He’s my friend.”

That was - different.

“Oh,” Tendou said, trying to process that idea. Vampires and humans could be friends? What type of life had this vampire led? “Ah, well, I was worried that maybe he’d been kidnapped or something. You know, like that kid on the news? The one that was turned?”

Semi examined him warily. “The redhead?”

“Yeah! That one! I just thought, well, maybe -”

“You wanted to play hero.”

That seemed to mollify Semi somewhat, though the scowl was still on their face. Their shoulders were more relaxed, though, and they didn’t seem a hair's-breadth away from jumping towards Tendou and trying to claw his eyes out. Tendou took that as a win.

“I don’t need rescuing,” the human said, yawning and curling back up under the blanket. “I do need sleep, though.”

Sleep and a few good meals, from what Tendou could see.

“Yeah, we’re fine,” Semi said, their arms curling around their torso.

They weren’t fine. Any fool could see that, and Tendou did not consider himself a fool.

Still, it didn’t seem like he’d get anywhere trying to push the matter tonight. “Alright,” Tendou said. “I’ll just go outside then, ok? Ah, you’ll be safe tonight.”

“We were safe before you came in and broke our window,” Semi grumbled, looking down.

In reality, the fact that Tendou had been able to break in so easily belied that statement - but Tendou wasn’t going to push the issue.

Not right now.

He just nodded and left, hanging around on the roof and watching the stars.

There was no more music that night, just the soft murmur of voices from the kids down below.

~~~~~~

The next night, Tendou came prepared.

“You again,” Semi spat out, frowning as they caught sight of the basket in Tendou’s arms. “What the hell is that?”

“Ah, we had some leftover food and things at a banquet the humans held earlier this evening. I thought you might -”

“We don’t need your charity!”

He should’ve expected this reaction. Tendou furrowed his brow, trying to figure out how he could explain that it wasn’t charity, he just wanted to help -

Then a noise from the human’s stomach echoed through the air.

“Semi,” Shirabu murmured, “That smells really really good.”

“But -” Semi said, looking stricken. “But you’re -”

“It’s roast beef,” Tendou said, carefully sitting down next to the wall and opening the basket. “Roast beef and vegetables, some kind of casserole, a couple bottles of water -”

Shirabu swallowed hungrily, eyes locked on the basket as Tendou pulled out the containers of food.

“But - it could be - it sounds really rich -”

“Fuck that,” Shirabu said, crossing the room to Tendou and snatching the container of roast beef out of his hands. Backing up a little ways he opened it up, picking up a chunk of meat and shoving it into his mouth.

“This better not be poisoned!” Semi said.

“It’s not,” Tendou replied, watching with a bit of concern as Shirabu stuffed his face. “Hey, hey, slow down there buddy, ah -”

Shirabu glared at him, then coughed. Both vampires rushed to help him, Tendou bringing a bottle of water. 

“Shit shit,” Shirabu said, shoving them away. “I’m fine, damn. Just not used to it.”

He accepted the water though, taking a swig and wiping his mouth. “The food is good.”

“Good,” Tendou said. “I can get you more if you want. It’s not a problem.”

Shirabu looked at him suspiciously, then shrugged. 

“But -”

“Semi,” Shirabu said, exchanging a long look with him before going back to the food, eating more slowly.

“Ah, I also brought these,” Tendou said, moving back to the basket and pulling out a couple of bottles of blood. “It’s not charity, it’s just - ugh. You look like you need it, ok?”

The other vampire opened their mouth, looking from Tendou to Shirabu, guilt written across their features. “Fine,” they finally said, coming over and holding out a hand.

“I’m Tendou, by the way,” he said, placing a bottle in Semi’s hand.

“Semi,” the vampire offered, taking a swig and making a face at the taste. “Ugh, bottled blood is so disgusting.”

Tendou raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t that bad - top tier stuff, really. For a moment he wondered what the vampire had for comparison - then he looked over at Shirabu. 

“He’s not always this rude,” Shirabu said, licking gravy from his lips.

“I’m right here,” Semi said, grumbling. “But fine. Thank you for the blood.”

“You’re welcome.”

Semi went to sit by Shirabu, drinking more of the bottled blood and making small worried comments that Tendou couldn’t quite understand. He sat back against the wall, watching the two and trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. He was so curious about these two. First, that they were friends. There was an understated affection between them that went both ways; he’d never seen that before. Second, he wanted to know where Semi’s family was. His parents should’ve been taking care of him - maybe he was an orphan? Or a runaway? Runaway vampires were rare, but they did exist.

Their clothes didn’t look awful, though. Granted, Semi’s shirt today was still about three sizes too big for him. Shirabu wore a nice-fitting pair of pants and a t-shirt, and the blankets making up their pallet were of decent quality. “Can I ask ah -”

Semi looked up and glared at him.

“You’re going to anyways,” Shirabu said. “Toss me those mashed potatoes.”

A bit bemused at the human’s attitude, Tendou did as instructed. “Are you guys normally on your own like this?”

They exchanged a glance. “Um,” Shirabu said, “Not usually, no. It’s just - well. Most of the time we live with my mom. She had to go out of town for work for a while, though, and the woman we were supposed to be staying with kicked us out a few weeks ago. Eh, kicked Semi out, but I didn’t like her attitude.”

“She beat you,” Semi said, frowning and curling up on himself as he started in on the second bottle of blood. “It wasn’t right.”

“She beat you?” Tendou asked, frowning.

Shirabu shrugged. “It wasn’t bad. Not like, punching or anything - just hitting me with a ruler or something because I didn’t clean things fast enough for her liking." 

“She beat you during the day when I couldn't protect you,” Semi said. “And you hid it from me!”

“Mom was only going to be gone for another couple of months,” Shirabu murmured. “I could handle it.”

“She almost broke your arm! She called you a blood bag!”

Shirabu’s hands curled around the container of mashed potatoes, and he shrugged. “You stopped her.”

“Because she happened to do it right after sunset when I was awake! Shit, Shirabu, if it’d been just a few minutes earlier -”

“It wasn’t.”

“She threatened to sell you!”

“You would never let that happen.”

Tendou felt like he was intruding on something intimate, some private discussion outsiders shouldn’t see. It made him feel strange inside.

“What about your family?” he asked Semi. “Couldn’t they -”

“I don’t have any family, idiot,” Semi hissed at him, standing up. “I’m not some spoiled vamp brat who has everything handed to him - you know what, get out. I don’t want to see your face right now.”

“Semi -” Shirabu said.

“Get out!”

Tendou frowned, slowly standing. Semi’s cheeks were red with fresh blood and anger. His hands rubbed at his eyes, smearing red across his cheek. “Alright,” he said slowly. “Sorry to intrude. If it’s alright I’ll be back tomorrow, though.”

“You don’t have -” Semi started.

“Thank you,” said Shirabu. “We appreciate it.”

Turning on his heel Semi stalked back to the far corner of the attic. 

Tendou watched him go then waved to Shirabu, leaving through the window and making his way to the roof.

There was no music that night, either.

~~~~~~

On other nights there was music, It took a while but Tendou figured out what to say and not say to best avoid setting Semi off. He brought them both food, politely declining when Shirabu offered him some of his blood in return. He had more than enough at home, even if the boy did smell delicious. Besides, Semi seemed to appreciate his lack of appetite.

Semi, Semi, Semi. The other vampire was smart. Ambitious. He seemed to always be on the edge of hunger, a hunger that surpassed the mere thirst for blood. He wanted to be the best at whatever he did. The most important thing to him seemed to be protecting Shirabu, which meant Tendou was silent about the fact that he spent most nights watching over them from the roof and Semi never brought it up. 

Piano practice was the other thing Semi put his mind to. He had a limited library; evidently, the owners of the house had enjoyed their Bach. Tendou tried bringing him other pieces - easier work, modern things, songs from around the world - but Semi refused them all. That meant that Shirabu and Tendou had to listen as he smashed his way through the Concertos and Inventions, sometimes sitting together up on the roof if things got too bad. Shirabu wasn’t bad for a human, really. 

Actually, Tendou thought he might be the strongest of all three of them.

Still, as bad as Semi played, the nights with music were vastly preferable to the ones without.

~~~~~

One night when Tendou showed up, both of his friends were uncharacteristically silent.

“What’s wrong?” Tendou asked, frowning at the look the two of them exchanged.

“Ah -” Semi said.

“I went to go pick up the mail today,” said Shirabu. “Mom rents - rented - a post office box down near the marketplace.”

“Rented?” Tendou asked, frowning.

In response, Shirabu just held out a letter.

_We regret to inform you..._

It had the stamp of the Hong Kong blood collection and distribution division. Tendou wasn’t familiar with them, but he’d heard his father express some complaints about how they treated their foreign workers. As far as Tendou knew, most of those workers were from South-east Asia - for there to be a Japanese woman working for them seemed odd.

Odd, and -

“I’m sorry,” Tendou said, digesting the rest of the letter. Human beings could be so fragile. Was this what his father had meant when he said there needed to be more stringent regulations? Accidental death... the vampires - wait, vampires plural? - would be fined accordingly, the body sent back, money in the listed account - “This is awful.”

Shirabu was silent, staring at his hands while Semi rubbed his back. 

“We don’t - he doesn’t -” Semi started, swallowing and starting again. “They want a guardian so that he can access the account. And collect the body. We’re just kids, there’s no way -”

Thinking this through, Tendou said, “If you want - ah, I know a guy.”

Human. They wanted the guardian to be human, of course. There was some weird notation next to Shirabu’s mother’s name - a premium donor, whatever that meant. “He’s - he’s a trainer for some of the human fighters my dad sponsors. Kind of an asshole, but - honorable. If you don’t have anyone else -”

Shirabu just shrugged.

It was the furthest Tendou had ever felt from being a hero. He’d never considered himself to be the spoiled rich kid Semi often accused him of being, but now -

He had two parents, and both of his friends had none.

He didn’t want to be this kind of lucky. He wouldn’t trade his parents for the world, but -

“If you could ask him,” Shirabu finally said, “It would probably be advisable.”

“I will. It’ll be -”

It wouldn’t be ok. Tendou knew it, knew the words were empty in the face of the black on white text he held in his hands.

“Thank you,” Semi said, looking him in the eye.

The emotion Tendou felt then was something he wanted to push away because he shouldn’t feel good for even an instant while his friends were in such distress. Swallowing, he said, “Ah. If you want, I think it’d be good to have my dad look at this? He’s a lawyer, he’d know what we can and can’t do, and the best way to handle it. Might even be able to get you a better settlement, this one seems - well - shitty.”

Two pairs of eyes looked at him in mild surprise at that. Looking at the number of zeroes on the line, Tendou figured that the two of them had probably never even dreamed of having that much money. Still, Shirabu’s mom was worth more than that.

She had to be.

She was a person. A human, yeah, but someone important. Someone Shirabu had been waiting on for weeks. Someone he’d told Tendou stories about while they lay up on the roof, watching the stars. Someone Semi respected - she had to be worth more. 

“Alright,” Shirabu whispered.

“Alright,” said Tendou, staring down at the letter.

He hadn’t told his parents about his two friends, not yet. He doubted they would care, as long as he was safe. The cook had mentioned something to his mother about the missing food, but she’d just asked him if he was being responsible and left it at that.

This was something more.

“Ah, that is,” he said. “Would you be willing to come with me? To see my parents?”

Semi looked guarded again, tugging Shirabu close so quickly that the human made a grumpy noise and shoved at his side. 

“Stop being so fucking protective,” Shirabu said, giving Tendou an apologetic look. “I would. I mean, we don’t have, like, a lot of money for cab fare, though? Is it far? I can walk, I’m a lot stronger than I was a few weeks ago.”

“I can call us a car,” said Tendou, wincing at the scorn in Shirabu’s eyes at those words.

“Oh what, our high and mighty Tendou has a car at his beck and call? How nice that must be for you.”

“Semi -” Tendou said, not even bothering to hide the fact that the other’s words stung him.

Whatever Semi saw, it was effective enough to make him look away in shame. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“It’s fine,” Tendou said. “It’s a rough night.”

A rough and quiet night. Semi didn't even try to practice, and Tendou left early so that the two friends could go ahead and go to bed.

His heart ached at the sound of Shirabu’s quiet sobs as he sat on the roof above the window, doing his best to make sure no further grief entered his friends’ world that night.

~~~~~

The next evening after sunset, Tendou told his father everything. He was right about his father’s reaction to his son’s nightly activities. A vague look of disapproval disappeared the moment the older vampire read the letter, and he was quick to clear space in his calendar to meet with Shirabu and Semi that same evening. 

“This feels weird,” Shirabu said, frowning down at himself as they sat in the back seat of Tendou’s family car. “Are you sure he wants to see us looking like this?”

Shirabu and Semi both visited the public baths on occasion, Tendou knew, normally in the early evenings before he came to their house. Still, he understood Shirabu’s concern. 

“It’ll be fine,” Tendou said. “I’ll just let you borrow a suit once we get there -”

The look Semi sent him was so filled with shock and horror that Tendou couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Ah, the look on your face, Semisemi!”

The vampire flushed blue. “I told you not to call me that!” he griped, pouting. Cute.

Tendou filed away that reaction for later when he could properly appreciate it. 

“No, but really. You’re fine the way you are. If you want other clothes or anything, we can probably take care of it.”

“We don’t want your -”

“Charity, yeah, I know I know Semi, sheesh. It wouldn’t be. Well, won’t be once we get everything straightened out about the guardianship and all that.”

“Guardianship. Right.”

Neither of them mentioned that it would only be for Shirabu. Since Semi was an orphaned vampire, technically he was his own guardian, as the sole member of his house. Theoretically, Tendou’s family might adopt him.

That wasn’t a theory that Tendou even wanted to hint at, though. He knew without asking that it would not go well. Semi hated taking anything from anybody.

The fact that he’d been relying on his best friend for sustenance all his life was bad enough.

They rode most of the way in silence, Shirabu looking out the window with a dull look on his face. That look changed to one of surprise and mild awe when they pulled up in Tendou’s driveway.

“Ok, so. It’ll be fine, just remember that alright? My father was very open to the idea of representing you. No worries.”

Nodding, Shirabu stuck close to Semi as they got out of the car and climbed the steps to the front door of the house. The way his friends looked at everything made Tendou remind himself that he wasn’t rich. Not really. Not like his father’s clients, or the people his mother arranged flowers for. They only had a handful of servants, after all - a driver, a butler, cook, maid - well, and the gardener, but Tendou wasn’t sure he counted. 

Shirabu shrank even closer to Semi at the look the butler gave him, though. Tendou bared his fangs at the man. He needed to feed more regularly if he couldn’t help that hungry look from coming to his face. Shirabu wasn’t food. Not like that. Jackass.

They worked their way through the halls to his father’s office, and Tendou knocked on the door.

“Ah, father? It’s us.”

The senior vampire opened the door himself, sucking in a breath at the sight of Tendou’s two friends. Semi ducked his head, looking both nervous and scared at the same time. It made Tendou feel more protective than he had his entire life, even though he knew his father wouldn’t harm his friends. 

“I appreciate you accepting my invitation,” the elder Tendou said, backing away from the door and motioning them inside. “I hope you don’t mind, I took the liberty of contacting a dear friend of mine who may be able to help with your situation.”

Tendou relaxed a little when he saw Washijou seated in front of his father’s desk. The old man’s face was sour as normal, but it wasn’t a judgemental look. It was more like he was assessing Shirabu. Tendou even saw a tiny nod of approval as Shirabu stepped away from Semi and corrected his posture, walking with dignity to stand next to one of the other seats in front of the desk.

“Shirabu Kenjirou,” he said, holding out his hand toward first Tendou’s father and then toward Washijou.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance,” said the elder Tendou. “I believe my son told me that you are eleven?”

“Yes,” Shirabu said, pulling a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. “I have this too, though you might need it.”

Nodding in thanks the elder Tendou took the paper, unfolding it while motioning for them to sit down. There were two chairs further away from the desk that Tendou and Semi sat down in. Semi looked nervous, watching Shirabu like a hawk.

For a moment Tendou wanted to reach out and hold Semi’s hand, just to reassure him that things would be fine. It was probably a selfish desire. The collar of Semi’s shirt had slid to the side as usual, exposing his collarbone. He’d filled out recently. His clothes still looked abominable on him, of course. 

A gaze as sharp as a knife shot Tendou’s way. “What are you staring at?” Semi hissed.

“Your cheek is dirty,” said Tendou, holding back a laugh as Semi’s eyes went wide and he licked discreetly at his fingers.

“Which?” 

Tendou tapped his left cheek. Not that it mattered. Semi ended up scrubbing both of them, first mirroring on the right and then deciding to play it safe and clean his left too. He ended up with bright red cheeks. 

It made Tendou wonder if he’d fed before they came. The idea of Semi biting Shirabu made his stomach feel funny, which was stupid because he knew they did it all the time. 

Sighing, he forced his attention back to the matter at hand.

“...keys to the safety deposit box, we’ll get your print card. Assuming you have no existing relatives, it shouldn’t be hard to get the courts to recognize Washijou as your new guardian. There are still laws on the books that give the vampire council certain responsibilities regarding the care of your kind, so our recommendation, along with your approval, carries a certain weight. Believe me, the elders in Hong Kong were not pleased when I told them what had happened to your mother. Such a shame - a young, fertile donor of such quality, gone because of someone’s lack of self-control -”

Semi sucked in a breath, and Tendou did put a hand over his this time, just to try and forestall any comment. 

“Semi,” he murmured, watching as Shirabu’s hands tightened around the armrests of his chair.

“Fertile?” Semi hissed. “What does that even matter?”

“It doesn’t,” Tendou replied, squeezing Semi’s hand. He dreaded having to tell Semi the details of what he’d learned about Shirabu’s ‘kind’ earlier that evening - about how in centuries past, vampires had bred certain humans together like livestock, nurturing the bloodlines to create people with exceptional blood. He had a feeling that wasn’t something Semi would react to well.

“I’m assuming,” said Washijou, “that if I take the boy, his companion will be expected to stay in my house as well?”

Everyone stilled at that. Shirabu glanced back at them, eyes flashing with fear.

“Oi,” Washijou grumbled. “I’m not opposed, just wanting to make sure we’re all on the same page here. You haven’t struck me as a weakling thus far, don’t start acting like one now.”

This time it was Semi whose fingers wrapped around Tendou’s hand, tiny bars of steel that kept Tendou from leaping up and yelling at the man. 

Once again, Shirabu proved his own strength, exhaling before meeting Washijou’s gaze head-on. “Semi comes with me. If needed, any extra money for his care can be taken out of my settlement account.”

A faint smile crossed Washijou’s face. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. How much will a stray vampire need, anyhow? And my house has more than one bedroom that isn’t being used, not a big deal.”

Tendou sighed in relief, watching as Shirabu relaxed with a nod, turning back to Tendou’s father to continue their conversation.

It was only belatedly that he realized he and Semi were holding hands.

He decided not to mention it.

~~~~~~

Tendou was there, of course, when they packed all of his friends’ meager belongings and took them to Washijou’s house. Semi had reluctantly decided to leave the sheet music in the piano bench - stupid, really, it wasn’t like anyone else was going to use it. 

Being there meant he got the pleasure of watching Shirabu’s face when they first stepped into his new guardian’s home. It wasn’t much, just a modest four-bedroom house in the suburbs, but it was nicer than where they had been staying by a longshot.

“What’s with that fish impression?” Washijou huffed, arms straining around a box.

Shirabu’s jaw snapped shut. “Nothing,” he mumbled. “I just didn’t expect getting a guardian would mean - this.”

“Something wrong with my house, boy?”

Silence stretched between them as Shirabu blinked, obviously trying to find the right words to respond.

“It’s a really nice house,” Semi said. “Not what we’re used to, is all.”

“Huh,” said Washijou, eyes softening for just a second as he watched Shirabu, whose face had turned away in shame. “Well, don’t get too cozy. There’ll be chores. Every growing boy needs chores - and you too, vamp.”

With that, he was turning to climb the stairs.

“Vamp,” Semi whispered.

“He doesn’t mean anything by it -”

“Oi! Stop lollygagging around and go get those boxes! I’m not going to do all the work here!”

Semi giggled. “No, no, it’s fine. I think... I think it’ll be nice here.”

Tendou nodded, possibly a bit entranced. Even with shoddy clothes and a wretched haircut, Semi was beautiful.

The discovery that they each had their own bedroom seemed to be an even bigger surprise than the house. Tendou suspected they’d probably both end up staying in Semi’s bedroom, where Washijou had installed thick light-blocking curtains on the windows. It made Tendou feel increasingly grateful to the old man. He was a good man. He’d make sure they were both safe, of that Tendou had no doubt.

The best surprise of all, though, was the sunroom.

This time it was Semi’s reaction that Tendou drank in, watching as his friend slowly crossed the room and laid trembling fingers on the black lacquered surface of the baby grand in front of the window. 

“Was my late wife’s,” Washijou said, standing in the doorway. “You play?”

“Badly,” Shirabu teased, earning him a quick angry look from Semi.

Nothing could pull his attention away from the piano for long, though. “I’m learning,” Semi said, reverent as he lifted the cover from the keys and slid his fingers over the ivory.

“He only likes Bach,” Tendou offered.

“Does he now,” Washijou said. “Well, I’m partial to Mozart myself, but I’m pretty sure there’s probably some Bach there in the music case. Just don't keep me up with your playing. Some of us have to work in the daytime, you know.”

“Yes, sir,” Semi said, sitting. His hands curled up in his lap and he bowed his head, trembling slightly.

Washijou cleared his throat. “Ah - boy, why don’t you and I go to the study. You said you liked books, right?”

Shirabu made an affirmative noise and the two of them left. Tendou lingered behind, though, wandering over to Semi and crouching down to look up at his face.

“You’re going to get blood all on the keys if you start crying,” he said.

“I’m not crying!” Semi hissed, glaring at Tendou with red eyes. Then he laughed, covering his face. “Sorry, sorry. It’s stupid, I know. All this, it’s just - it’s so much. It’s crazy. We’ve never had -”

“You should have,” Tendou muttered. “You should have everything.”

“You’re impossible.”

Leaning his head against the piano, Tendou smiled. “Dream come true?”

“Idiot come true,” Semi said, hand pushing Tendou’s face away and making him lose his balance.

Tendou just laughed, not minding the distance as long as Semi was happy.

Sucking in a few more breaths, Semi whispered, “I’m terrified. Scared that the rug is going to be pulled out from under our feet, that Washijou will hurt Shirabu and I won’t know a thing until it’s too late, that something bad will happen and it’ll be all my fault -”

“Hey, hey now,” Tendou soothed. “It won’t. He won’t. He’s a good man, good coach. Really cares about his students, you know? It’ll be fine. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

Semi laughed. “Stupid. You’re just as much of a kid as we are.”

“Yeah,” Tendou said, “I know.”

He was rewarded with a smile for that. It was a small, uncertain smile, but a smile nonetheless.

“First thing, though,” Tendou said. “We really should take you shopping for some new clothes.”

Frowning, Semi looked down at himself. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“Really? Seriously?” Tendou asked. “You’re actually asking me that?”

“I like these clothes!”

“Well then your taste in clothes is atrocious!”

“Well - well - your haircut is atrocious!”

Tendou gasped, feeling mortally wounded. “Excuse me?”

“Bowl cuts are stupid!”

“Bowl cuts are cool! All the best heroes have bowl cuts!”

“Bowl cuts are stupid, and you’re stupid!”

Huffing, Tendou said, “Fine! Fine. If you let me take you shopping for new clothes, we can go to a salon and I’ll try a new haircut.”

Semi gaped at him a moment, then pursed his lips and said, “Fine. I’ve, ah, been wanting to get my own hair fixed anyways.”

“Good,” Tendou said, leaning back on his arms. “I wasn’t going to say it -”

“Hah. Unlikely.”

“But that haircut was getting a bit worrisome. What the hell did you do, try to disguise yourself as a -”

“Don’t push it, Tendou.”

“... Roger.”

“Roger?”

Tendou chuckled, glancing to the side. “Nevermind. I’ll play nice.”

Humming, Semi nodded. After a long moment of silence, Semi said, “Thank you. You know, for, ah. Everything.”

“Yeah. No problem.”

Tendou watched another smile bloom on Semi’s face, having to turn away from the sight. A book in the music case caught his eye and he tugged it out. “Here. Why don’t you murder my ears with some of this.”

Raising an eyebrow Semi took the book, eyes lighting up as he read the title. “Bach Concertos.”

“For beginners,” Tendou said.

Semi scowled at him, but opened the book and placed it on the piano, fingers sliding over the familiar notes. Humming softly, he laid his hands on the piano keys and began to play.

This time, the music was almost bearable.


End file.
